Ingredients from the farm make up nearly half of the ingredients found in pet food today. As a main ingredient or in the form of a value-added meat product, food for our beloved furry family members is an important market for corn farmers, but a recent report suggests it could be the tip of the iceberg.

Nearly half of the food ingredients in pet food come from farm and farm product ingredients, totaling 4 million tons valued at $1.4 billion, according to a report by the Institute for Feed Education & Research (IFEEDER). With over 1.28 million tons of corn, and nearly 477,000 tons of corn gluten meal, the first and  fourth most used pet food ingredients by weight, corn plays a keystone role in what is a $30 billion industry.

Today’s pets are considered more part of the family than ever, and that means consumers are evaluating food for their dogs or cats like any other family member. For corn, that mindset opens up potential for increased demand beyond the bowl in the pet food space.

In addition to marketing the qualities one might find for human food, pet food packaging is evolving to become more environmentally friendly while preserving the quality of the food.

Corn-based materials, most importantly of the Polyethylene Furanoate (PEF) variety, can be made of 100-percent renewable materials and outperform conventional packaging in its ability to create a better barrier to carbon dioxide and improved moisture resistance. The result is a pet food that has maintained its freshness as it makes its way into the dog or cat food bowl.

“We know modified corn starches can extend the properties of paper barriers,” said Michael Granche, manager of market development for the National Corn Growers Association. “That means if you have this bag of dog food sitting in the warehouse, these properties can help keep it fresher.”

In addition to food quality benefits, corn-based materials would be another opportunity to replace the petroleum-based packaging we see on the food shelves today. That benefit extends to using corn-based packages for the hundreds of doggy bags one family may use throughout the year—corn-based materials can be  biodegradable and  break down as opposed to building up like petroleum-based plastic bags.

Furthermore, many dog toys made of plastics have a petroleum component. Replacing that with a renewable material like corn would be a much more attractive alternative for pet owners increasingly concerned with what they are giving their pets.

For Minnesota’s corn farmers, the state is home to the third most pet food facilities in the nation. A future of growing applications for corn in the pet food space would be a boost for farmers while providing manufacturers with a reliable product.

“The pet food world has the opportunity to rethink the role of corn for many different reasons. Corn is a great source of energy for pets that is both abundant and sustainable. It also has application in pet food packaging itself, creating bio-friendly products that perform better,” Granche said. “Our farmers across the country grow corn better than anywhere else, providing a high-quality product, consistently.”

To read the full IFEEDER report, click here. To learn more about corn and the role it plays in petfood, click here.